ABSTRACT

As fair trade marketing expands in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other developed countries, small businesses and farmers’ associations in the Pacific islands are developing small-scale initiatives to promote fair trade products from the region. From organic coffee grown in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to coconut products from Samoa or the Solomon Islands, there are fledgling attempts by island producers to develop fair trade exports. These initiatives come at a time when rural farmers are also seeking to diversify from traditional cash crops into niche agricultural exports, with products like vanilla, noni juice, spices, exotic forest products and kava.